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ASHTABULA.-This Union School has been in operation one year, and has been noted for the punctuality of the attendance of the pupils. The recent Examination gave token of the merit of the teachers and proficiency of the scholars.

Bucyrus.-The papers of this thriving county seat of Crawford county, speak highly of the Journal of Education, and intimate that it is a healthy sign that all the teachers of the Union Schools are subscribers. The provision for examination of teachers seems to be inadequate, as recently there were 150 applicants at one session.

Cincinnati.-The School Board have not yet acted upon the salary bill before them. They have adopted Murray's Exercises, to be used in connection with any text book on Grammar, in the Intermediate schools.

The Ohio School Library at Cincinnati, open free to all its citizens, has become a valuable resort. Two thousand and ten names have been enrolled, and for the month of March, as we learn from the report, 3473 books were withdrawn for use, in the following proportions, viz: Works of Fiction, 1530; Travels and Voyages, 324; Biographies, 410; Poetical Works, 157; Histories, 301; Geology, Botany, Philosophy, etc., 252; Religious, Educational, etc., 599.

-Professor Theodore Soden, author of a German Grammar, and formerly teacher of the German language in the Cincinnati High Schools, has returned to his "fatherland," and is now conducting a select family school of young ladies, at Esslingen, on the Neckar, near Stuttgart, Kingdom of Wurtemberg. Pupils received from the United States.

Cleveland." Cleveland and her Public Schools," is the title of an able article in the Herald, which sets forth in detail the observation of an Eastern visitor to the schools of the Forest City. It thus concludes, after specially noticing Miss Gillette, Mr. and Mrs. Palmer: "Cleveland must be exceedingly fortunate in the selection of her school officers, Superintendent of Instruction and teachers, else your system would not work to such perfection. Speaking of your Superintendent of Instruction, you must pardon an anecdote, though somewhat personal. Meeting a friend on your streets, his Yankee inquisitiveness prompted him to inquire, 'What are you doing here so often?' 'Oh,' said I, 'visiting schools, and studying Mr. Freeze.' 'Good,' said he; 'when you get your lesson learned let me know, and if you don't grow too old before that time, you can have a pass to superintend the schools of the Union.'"'

The Cuyahoga county Teachers' Association met at Cleveland on the 8th and 9th ult., and valuable and instructive lectures delivered, and exemplifications of methods of teaching made. Canfield.-In Mahoning county we notice that the county Board of Examiners attend at the Court House in Canfield, to examine teachers, spending fifteen days consecutively, appropriating one day to applicants from each township.

Dayton.-The High School of this city has recently had an Exhibition which attracted a large number of people. The newspapers of the place urge the Board to construct the new edifice of Dayton limestone. One of the prominent firms of Dayton is reported to have a country correspondent, who writes after the following style:

"gents i sende yu ate baggs of rags & Want yew too give Me Credit for 'em and sende me the Bil be lo

Three duzzen pas bords 2 dossen electio spelin bucks on dos sen seckent electic reders and one 1⁄2 a dozen 3 reders, won dos coppie bucks fore riten too reems rapin papre, diffrant sises 1 reem riten paper number wun too boltz Winder blinds Fancy 50 bls cotton yarn Number seven to twenty lbs candle weak an won dussen Primmers for little fellers."

Greenfield. Mr. T. H. Herdman, Superintendent of the Greenfield schools, has adopted the plan of publishing a monthly report of the attendance, progress, etc., of the scholars, which doubtless has a good effect by keeping the attention of parents more constantly awakened to the subject. From his last report we learn that the Primary Department (two schools) numbers 126 pupils; the Secondary 55; Grammar School 74; High School 46.

The average daily attendance during the first month of the year was 234.

-The Teachers' Association of Fayette, Highland and Ross counties, Ohio, will hold the next regular meeting at Frankfort, on the 1st and 2d of May, 1857, commencing on Friday, at 2 o'clock P. M.

An address will be delivered on Friday evening by T. H. Herdman of Greenfield, and other interesting exercises and important business will come before the meeting.

Some action will be taken in respect to the propriety of holding another Normal Institute at Greenfield during July and August, and, if deemed expedient, necessary arrangements will be made for said Institute.

Malta.-The Western News Boy recently contained an interesting resume of the history of "The Morgan county Schools-Their Progress," which concluded with the following:

The teachers of Morgan held their first Institute in 1854, and have held them semi-annually and annually, from that time to the present, and teachers generally attend from all parts of the county, and seem to take a deep interest in the proceedings; the result of which is seen in the improvement of teachers. And their salary has increased from eight and fifteen dollars to thirty-five and forty dollars per month. We learn by reports that there are sixty subscribers to the Ohio Journal of Education in Morgan county, which is nearly double the amount from many of the older counties. This proves that the teachers are deeply interested in the cause of Education, that they wish to establish as a fact that they are worthy of the name of Teacher.

Mt. Union.-With twenty-seven new subscribers, (in addition to thirty previously sent,) furnished by O. N. Hartshorn of Mt. Union Seminary, this enterprising teacher says, "I hope to send you 80 subscribers during this year. I regard the Journal' as a powerful instrument in advancing the cause of general education throughout the State, and I deem it the duty of every friend of learning, to labor whenever and wherever possible for its wider circulation. There are over one hundred of our students who are subscribers. The total number in atten. dance, above the age of sixteen years, is near two hundred, one hundred and fifty-five of whom have taught district schools. Our Normal School department is very interesting. It is our desire to do whatever we can for elevating the youth of our country, and we expect, so long as the Ohio Journal of Education continues as heretofore, to be not only needed, but wisely adapted to effect so much good, to give it our hearty support.

Morrow. An interesting Teachers' Convention was held at this village, in Warren county, on the 28th of March. We have not received a report thereof nor a list of subscribers expected from Mr. Ellinwood; but a very complimentary article in favor of the "Journal" appears in the "Teachers' Advocate," as follows:

"OHIO JOURNAL OF EDUCATION.-Our State Journal of Education has lately been put under the Editorial management of Mr. J. D. Caldwell, Esq. Although Mr. Caldwell is not a teacher, and we have always entertained considerable doubt as to the propriety of placing the organ of the State Teachers' Association under the control of any person who is not a professional teacher, we must admit that he appears to have breathed a new life into the columns of the Journal; we believe the subscription list of the Journal is not quite finished yet, (for certainly every TEACHER in the State will have his name there,) and we suppose that no better time than the present can be found for those who have not as yet sent on their names, them to the Editor."

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Newark. The popular notice given of ignorant applicants to be certified as teachers, we hope will partially cure the evil.

The following is from a Newark paper:

"We still occasionally meet with strange specimens of orthography, and one of the candidates at our last examination tells us that "whilst" is a "verbe and greeze with its nomitive them." Another writes of the "ileand of Cicily;" but these are exceptions. The deficiencies of most manuscripts in grammar and geography, render it necessary to call the attention of teachers to a careful review of these branches, before attending examination. On the 14th of the present month, seventy-one manuscripts were presented, and in seventy of these the following lines were parsed incorrectly:

"While thee I seek, Protecting power,

Be my vain wishes stilled."

Not one gave correct the participles of "buy, do and see," and very few recognized the existence of the passive voice. We hope that this paragraph may meet the eye of some . teachers, and that our examination on the 28th inst. will show an improvement in these

branches."

THE

Ohio Journal of Education.

COLUMBUS, JUNE, 1857.

ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS OF THE STATE OF OHIO.

MORNING SESSION.

This Association (organized last December) met in Cincinnati agreeably to adjournment, Tuesday, April 28, 1857, in the Hall of the Board of Education-Andrew J. Rickoff, of Cincinnati, President, in the Chair, and John Lynch, of Circleville, Secretary pro tem.

The meeting was opened with prayer by the Rev. Wm. F. Hansell, of Cincinnati. In welcoming the Association, the President remarked that the labor before them was not the institution of a system of common schools, for that had been done by sagacious men who have struggled hard that means should be established for the education of every child in the State. It remains for the Superintendents and their colaborers in the school room, the teachers, with judicious counselors, whom they may find among the friends of education, to so shape and elaborate the details of that system, that it may do the greatest possible good to the greatest number. We shall attain the speediest and most valuable results by coming back to a genuine simplicity. We must impart to the young a knowledge of "Common Things," the actual affairs of every day life; they must be trained in the arts and duties which they will be called upon to perform in the intercourse of civilized society. The educational institutions of Holland and Prussia have been celebrated for a long time for the thoroughness of their discipline in language. Systematic attention is given it before the child is taught the alphabet, and through every stage of his progress, till he leaves the gymnasium or the university. Whilst we are independent in our own ways, and necessarily peculiar in our own plans, we should not fail to incorporate whatever we can find abroad which would be

VOL. VL-No. 6.

12

likely to be useful to us. Though assembling from all parts of the State, differing widely in our methods of instruction, and perhaps our doctrines of education, who would doubt for a moment that we may brought to agree on material points, in that which may be adapted to all?

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Ohio, from her central position and vast material resources, has it in her power to be a State of commanding influence in educational progress. The Superintendents of her schools must, in no small degree, mould the future, in adopting plans for to-day. Our responsibilities are commensurate with our advantages. They demand from us unabated zeal, and intelligent labor that knows no fatigue.

Letters from Mr. E E. White, Portsmouth, and Mr. M. F. Cowdery, Sandusky, who were unable to attend, were read and filed. Rev. A. Duncan read an interesting paper, in pursuance of previous appointment, on Teachers' Meetings. He treated of the object sought, and was caustic in his remarks on what he alleged was the mental tendency of a majority of those persons who are acting as teachers, attributing their indifference to downright indolence-a willingness on the part of the teacher to make his pursuit easy, by doing as little as possible. To elevate, quicken and invigorate teachers to make them progressive-they need united, associated effort. Observation and books may help, but it is by comparing and interchanging, that mental and moral improvement is secured. Freely he receives, and freely he should give. He instanced the important study of Mental Arithmetic, which enters so largely into the training of youth for all classes of business pursuits, as being conducted in many diverse ways, even in the same schools, one of which was evidently the best method. By systematic conferences of those of the same grade, relative excellences are tested by examination and comparison, and unity or approach to uniformity of teaching attained.

A crowning benefit of teachers' meetings is the acquirement of a moral power of inestimable efficiency. By exchange of observations and philosophy of their teachings, the moral deficiencies of pupils can be traced. These generally centre in the master sin of selfishness. The numerous details of when, how, and how long they should be conducted, must of course be the subject of specific consideration in each school, but making it compulsory to attend on the part of teachers, by rules more or less strenuous, the essayist contended, was a matter of settled importance.

In the Newark schools these exercises were conducted on Friday af

ternoon, the schools having been dismissed at recess, after exercises in Declamation, Vocal Music, and reading of Compositions. All the teachers, with the Superintendent, united in spending one and a half hours in exercises specially fitted for mutual improvement in practical duties, which time has been deemed to be the most profitable for the pupils expended by the teachers.

The report recommended

That teachers' meetings should be ordained by law, and be an indispensable part of a common school system;

That teachers be required to take part in these exercises, as regularly as the duties of their school rooms;

That they should prepare therefor, as is required of pupils ;

That their attendance be registered and reported, which should have. its effect in promotions and continuance in school;

That one moiety of the time engaged therein be to secure mental vigor, and the other their moral welfare.

This is but a brief sketch of the paper, taken from hearing it read. The report was referrred to a select committee, consisting of Messrs. Lynch, Sams and Duncan, to report resolutions in conformity with the spirit of the report.

Messrs. Catlin, Johnson and Emerson, were appointed a business committee to report in the afternoon.

AFTERNOON SESSION-2 O'CLOCK,

Prayer by Rev. A. Duncan.

Dr. Catlin, from the committee, presented the following

Order of Business.

1. Report of Mr. Rickoff on School Reports.

2. 66

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Select committee on Report of Mr. Duncan. 3. Selection of subjects of Report at next meeting, viz : 1. School Teachers' Licenses.

2. The Synthetic and Analytic Methods of Instruction.
3. Training of Teachers already engaged in Teaching.
4. Proper method of conducting critical Examinations for pro-
motion of Pupils to a higher grade of School.

5. General Rules and Regulations for the adoption of School
Boards.

4. Resolutions.

5. Amendments to Constitution.

6. Miscellaneous Business.

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